Chapter 1472 – Targeting Nie Liang, Attacking Yang Tao, Sword Pointing to the World (12)
“Lord has been waiting for the Young Master; please don’t delay any longer.”
Even though we were only an hour away from Nie Camp, Wei Ying felt a twinge of worry based on Nie Qing’s description.
Nie Qing nodded in response and softly said, “Let’s set off.”
After the assassination attempt last night, he was well aware of the perilous situation, and one could only imagine how many malicious eyes lurked in the shadows.
With Wei Ying’s assistance, Nie Qing climbed into the carriage and noticed that Nie Yang remained curled up in his sleep. A wave of concern washed over him.
The attack last night had terrified Ayang, causing him to have restless nightmares. Perhaps the dreams were too horrifying, leaving him with an extremely twisted expression. Nie Qing tried to wake him, but there was no response after a long while. If it weren’t for his breathing, Nie Qing would have suspected that a ghost had taken him away.
“What kind of nightmare could he have had—”
Nie Qing anxiously took Nie Yang’s hand; the back of it was icy cold, drenched in clammy sweat.
Unbeknownst to him, Nie Yang wasn’t just having nightmares; his pain exceeded the worst horrors by several fold.
Last night, Nie Yang had been infuriated at the System’s deceit and harassment, cautiously probing its limits.
The System had sensed that Nie Yang’s wings were growing stronger, attempting to break free from its control. After a fierce exchange of words, things seemed to be spiraling out of control.
Nie Yang possessed a Daoist treasure gifted by Master Liu Ru, said to suppress evil spirits.
He revealed this trump card, trying to negotiate with the System for autonomy and control.
Unexpectedly, the System was furious, shedding its false facade, and no longer remained gentle and compliant, but instead revealed a sinister, malevolent side.
【The consequence of disobedience is a slow and torturous death. Do you really think a mere mortal can turn the tables on me?】
Although the treasure bestowed by Master Liu Ru didn’t seriously injure the System, it inflicted considerable damage.
This enraged the System greatly.
Nie Yang was a mortal, just one of the countless ants beneath its gaze. How dare he attempt to shake the position of the divine with a mere trump card? Who gave him the audacity? The System didn’t mind Nie Yang having his own little thoughts, but it couldn’t tolerate an ant plotting against it.
Dealing with such disobedient hosts, the System had ample experience and was confident it could train him to be obedient.
It needed to use force to make Nie Yang understand the chasm that separated them, a gulf that mere mortals could never cross!
【Submit or face death, mortal—do you understand?】
The System wished to erase the insolent Nie Yang, but couldn’t bring itself to do so.
First, a suitable host wasn’t easily replaceable. It had invested significant effort into Nie Yang, and to discard him now would be a huge loss.
Second, Nie Yang’s significance was neither light nor heavy; he was a key piece affecting the fate of the entire realm. Any harm to him would immediately alert the lurking enemies. The System certainly did not want to suffer a double loss—if it kept Nie Yang, he could still be useful.
Since it couldn’t eliminate him, it would just have to invest some effort into “fixing” him.
Nie Yang had never faced such torment before, yet his inherent stubbornness and resilience made him hold on tightly.
Stubborn Nie Yang refused to surrender; the System wouldn’t let go either, leading to a deadlock.
However, Nie Yang was ultimately mortal and couldn’t endure such suffering. He had ambitions, knew what it meant to “bend and stretch,” and realized that a wise person knew when to yield. He could easily feign submission temporarily, using the System to achieve his goals, then later figure out a way to deal with this monster!
After a night full of torment, just as the main force was about to reach Nie Camp, Nie Yang wearily opened his eyes.
If Nie Qing had looked over, he would have noticed an unmistakable flash of unwillingness and resentment in Nie Yang’s gaze.
“Ayang? You’re awake?”
Nie Qing set down his book, breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly helped Nie Yang sit up.
At that moment, he noticed Nie Yang’s clothes were soaked with sweat, and the spot where he slept left a damp outline. Nie Yang appeared utterly drained. Strands of sweat-soaked hair clung to his face, his long hair draping over his shoulders, giving him a remarkably fragile and pitiful appearance.
“Brother—”
Nie Yang tried to speak, his voice so hoarse it felt like fire scorched his throat.
“What kind of nightmare did Ayang have? No matter how I called, you wouldn’t wake up.” Nie Qing was heartbroken seeing his cousin in such a state.
Nie Yang certainly couldn’t tell the truth. He felt as if he had narrowly escaped a catastrophe, which left him humiliated and disgusted.
He had actually submitted to the coercion of a monster, which was a great disgrace.
Nie Yang replied, “I… I don’t know, just remember… it was an extremely terrifying dream…”
Seeing the lingering fear on his cousin’s face, Nie Qing couldn’t bear to press further.
He shifted the topic, saying, “Father has already sent troops to escort us; we’re almost at the main camp. Don’t be afraid, Ayang.”
Nie Qing softly pat Nie Yang’s back, speaking in a tone meant to comfort a child.
Weary, Nie Yang closed his eyes and leaned against Nie Qing’s shoulder.
Had Nie Qing not blocked his path, Nie Yang would have welcomed such a caring and attentive older brother.
Due to Nie Yang’s poor condition, Nie Qing didn’t let him leave the carriage and simply rested a while before going to meet Father Nie Liang along with Wei Ying.
Nie Liang was already aware that his son had been ambushed by the enemy at midnight and had almost lost his life.
In an instant, his heart was torn between anger and worry, both attacking him, nearly causing a faint.
Only upon seeing Nie Qing did he feel a little better.
Nie Qing was startled by his father’s appearance; having not seen him for a while, his father seemed to have lost a significant amount of weight. Although his father’s eyes were still sharp, the dark circles under his eyes appeared like ink stains that wouldn’t fade. His face was as pale as a corpse, lips tinged with a subtle blue hue.
Nie Qing immediately performed a deep bow, his eyes slightly reddened.
Nie Liang said coldly, “You’re already a grown man; why are you still acting like a three-year-old having a tantrum? How can I feel at ease with you being so unsteady?”
Nie Qing lowered his head to hide his tears.
Nie Liang continued, “I heard about your experiences last night. You were quite steady; that part was commendable.”
Even if unable to help, he certainly wouldn’t add to the chaos, remembering the saying, “A child of thousand gold should never defile the hall,” and wouldn’t recklessly put himself in danger. After repelling the enemy, Nie Qing’s handling of the situation was also quite thorough, which left Nie Liang a bit nostalgic and appreciative.
Unfortunately, Nie Qing was still too young.
Once he was gone, how would Nie Qing secure the wobbly Nie Clan and maintain stability against lurking dangers?
Thinking of this made Nie Liang’s head throb.
After some time spent conversing, Nie Liang dismissed his son and felt a wave of sweet, metallic taste in his throat.
He caught it with a napkin and, as expected, saw the familiar bright red.
In a daze, Nie Liang heard the sound of drums coming from outside the camp and thought he must be mistaken.
“Who is beating the drum outside?”
Outside the tent, a Guard reported, “Replying to the Lord, the enemy is gathering forces outside the camp and calling us out.”
Hearing this, Nie Liang’s phoenix eyes widened in anger.
“Liu Xi is really going too far!”
First, they bullied his son and almost made him lose a black hair for a white one, and now they were directly leading troops to challenge them.
If he didn’t fight back, wouldn’t the Nie Clan’s reputation be trampled underfoot!
